Category Archives: Buyers

Hi guys! We are having a referral contest at work to win an iPad, I NEED YOUR HELP! I want an iPad something fierce! What’s a referral you ask? If you know of anyone who plans to move anywhere in the world (yes, literally the world, not just the Jacksonville, NC area-which, of course send them my way too!) and would love a friendly, talented, experienced person with a track record to assist them rather than throw a dart at realtor.com or the yellow pages and hope to get lucky. . .I can do that, at no cost to you or your pal. HEEELLLPPP!!! Pour through those friends lists! 🙂 WHEN I win, I’ll of course let you come visit and play with the iPad!

Know someone that wants to move, is thinking about moving. . .might be renting or buying or selling a home? I don’t care where you live or if a tornado hit your home (we’ve been helping our local victims as well). . .I’d love to help! I’ll match folks up with the most professional an dhard working follks I can find!

There’s a possibility it’s the caffeine talking but ever experience a good gut-burn that makes you feel like you’re on the right path to something fun and great and mutually beneficial? I’m there, enjoying the burn and the late night epiphanies and brain storming sessions. You know you’re passionate about what you’re doing when half asleep at three thirty in the morning you’re scrawling into a moleskine journal next to the bed to try to get something down before you fall back asleep, actually, no that’s just the inspiration. Hearing your idea is terrible twenty times in a row, some from close family and friends as you morph and develop it then eventually the tides turn and you hear it just might work as you intend it to. . .there’s nothing like your own mother or a former business professor telling you to pack sand to make you put up or shut up on something at the developmental level.

You have to think old school, new school and anticipate the moves of the school with no foundation these days in real estate. Like any business, I’m sure you’re sitting there shaking your head, “It’s not rocket science!”. . .thanks Captain Obvious. It can be frustrating to see some folks advance in business. Prowess in marketing? Networking? Orrrr connections, which, hey, I get it, it’s a networking game, life/business that is and good on ya if you’re out shakin’ your tail feather to push your product or idea. Maybe it was that business ethics class (since I thought taking one was important) or one too many lock-ins at Baylake United Methodist as a kid but I think it’s weird push your product when there’s a very personal interest at heart.

Ah, disclosure. Depending on the state in question, there are some various “direct” connections (Selling agent is builder, Real Estate Firm is Developer). . .but it’s amazing what ISN’T required. It’s kind of strange to stand back and keep an eye on who’s hand is in who’s pocket in real estate these days. Referral organizations that take over a third of commissions up front and then push their product but don’t want you to disclose to their referred client that the client indeed has a choice. Agents who are in one way or another involved with their builder or developer who, perhaps, aren’t doing their due diligence pushing for the best match for a purchase for you but rather something from their personal inventory since it’s proceeds are paying for this year’s trip to cabo or wedding flowers with the builder/developer. Hey, I know we have some PR work to do. As real estate professionals, I know a good chunk of this nation is sure we are the new century’s equivalent of a snake oil salesman and frankly, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with a good portion of us.

I’m feeling a teensy bit riot grrl lately, granted, Doc Martens don’t go with my work attire today but feeling a little grr nonethless. Am I out to make a buck, you bet, but aren’t we all. I guess if you’re taking a look at something I have up on the market, I want you to know it’s my best friend’s sister’s house with super cute custom curtains in the family room and if it’s a match to your wish list but I’m most certainly not going to shove it down your throat if it’s not a good match. Also, I think if you’re representing a builder/developer and you spent the first half of your morning folding their underpants and making them coffee but you aren’t perhaps legally married or it’s a second cousin twice removed, if I were a client, I’d like to know.

Back to my death by spread sheet and paper cut but had to vent for a second. Happy to lose a battle in the short term (or at least walk away from the school yard) and to gain ground long term. Day ten (I think) in a row, thinking I may break for the gym then head back to work. . .

PS- To the facebook and blog creeper out there that’s reposted some of my articles (as well as some that seem familiar from fellow bloggers), nice to meet you, I have your isp address, consider this a polite finger wagging to knock it off. . .it’s not nice to plagiarise. You are welcome to share with a link or repost or trackback buddy. . .seriously, by the looks of things, seems like you don’t write a lick yourself?

I had to let you know about a beautiful new construction community in the Holly Ridge area, a hop, skip and a jump away from the beach. The Cottages at Holly Ridge hosted a lovely open house for us agents to preview their beautiful new homes built in sort of a crafstman-like manner. Attention to detail, fine appointments, great paint colors and cool floor plans await in this planned and peacefull community. Contact me today for additional information, priced, floor plans and to set up a preview for yourself, though, sadly I am sure the caterers will not be there:

Call me to tour this wonderful three bedroom, two bath, one car grage home with pergo floors in all common areas and a fabulous tiered back yard with lush mature landscaping and hardwood trees! Hitting this market this week at 149,900 with updated pain colors, window covering and more. This may not be a NEW home but it has a mordern floor plan and a great fenced-in yard. Located near Half-Moon off the Summersill light, turn right on Autumn and left on Winter, home is on your right near end of the cul-de-sac. Very close to Summersill Elem.

This lovely home is owned by none other than Jesse James Smith, who runs Carolina Fitness Boot Camp. Group sessions available, great rates and unmatched enthusiasm!

I couldn’t resist this repost. . .I found this article on cnn.com this morning and thought I would share. myhomeideas.com seems to be a really neat site with lots of great ideas, info and resources. . .you really need to check it out. The list below, 10 things to do to NOT sell your house may seem pretty silly to some of you. . .but in this industry, being in and out of people’s homes all day, you really see some unusual and embarassing stuff. . .just know that when it comes to your home on the market, there is no such thing as things being too clean inside and out. . .!!!

(MyHomeIdeas) — If you’re wondering why your house has languished on the market for all these months, check out our tongue-in-cheek guide to common mistakes sellers make

1. Leave out your pictures, magazines, books, and knickknacks. You want a prospective buyer to feel that they know you, right?

Wrong. You want the buyers to immediately begin imagining themselves living in your house, and they’ll have a hard time seeing beyond the pictures of your family at Beaver Creek and the old issues of Gun & Garden.

Even worse, they might find your taste in books laughable or your choice of evening wear tacky and decide they couldn’t possibly live in your house.

So clear every surface, every side table, every coffee table, the sideboard, the desk and the dining room table. You can put one item in each room, and it should be a plant or flowers.

2. Don’t change the cat litter. After all, you changed it yesterday, right? It doesn’t smell that bad yet.

Or…..give your house the sniff test. It should smell fresh and clean. Nothing is more off-putting to a prospective buyer than a house that’s stale-smelling, or worse.

Don’t Miss

Often, you become so inured to the smell of your own home that you don’t notice scents that might offend a visitor. Empty the garbage cans, load dirty clothes into the washing machine, run a lemon through the disposal, give wood furniture a quick swipe with polish, and for goodness sake, change the litter box.

Or…make your house a place anyone could imagine making their own. This means removing most evidence of your own personality. Decorate with a rigorous devotion to beige.

Neutral walls, pale furniture, soft lighting, and inoffensive art all go a long way towards creating a crowd-pleasing interior. Remove your collections to a safe place for the duration of the selling process, since you want a prospective buyer to look at the space, not get distracted by your Beanie Baby collection.

4. Stash your dirty magazines and movies in your oven or drawers! No one will open them to look inside.

Oh, yes they will. Get rid of everything you wouldn’t want your mother to see. Prospective buyers will open the oven, investigate drawers for function and capacity, and study your closets and your medicine cabinet.

Part of preparing your house to sell is a ruthless purging of all these places and a thoughtful review of potentially embarrassing items in your house. If your bedroom is your personal love palace, remove any evidence of your rollicking sex life, at least temporarily.

5. Leave your furniture arranged as it is. That way people can see how much you can fit into the room!

Or….remove those extra pieces of furniture that make a room livable but add to the sense of clutter — side tables, foot stools, magazine racks, and rocking chairs, which take up more space than a fixed chair. Create simple arrangements with maximum impact.

Often people arrange their living room as if they’re hosting the neighborhood watch association meeting, with all the furniture lined up along the walls. Instead, place a sofa facing the fireplace, and flank it with two chairs facing a coffee table in between. This will create visual depth and an inviting vignette.

Or…put your fan-of-the-year behavior on hold for a while, and stash your team merchandise away in the attic. What if your best prospect is a Yankee’s fan? You don’t want to lose a buyer over a big sponge #1 finger. The same goes for religious paraphernalia, although that may actually be less of a deal-breaker than the wrong team loyalty.

7. Don’t worry about the breakfast dishes in the sink. People will understand you were in a rush to get out the door that morning.

Or….they’ll think you’re a slob who couldn’t be bothered to put the dishes in the dishwasher, and probably hasn’t taken very good care of the house. Other people’s dirty dishes are especially revolting, and conjure images of squalor. If it means you have to take your family out to breakfast, make sure you leave the kitchen pristine. My Home Ideas: Company-ready kitchen

The same goes for the bathroom. Dry the inside of the sink and the surrounding counter completely before you leave the house.

8. Let the buyer fix the hole in the wall and the broken light fixture. They may want to choose their own!

Or…be prepared to lose a sale over the poor condition of your house. Everything in your house must be in good working order before you put it on the market. This process can take a couple of months, but you need to fix all broken fixtures, change all burned out light bulbs, repair any flaws in the walls, and refresh any paint that needs it.

9. Leave the yard as is. After all, it’s the house they’re coming to see!

Or…learn to see your yard an extension of the house, and give it a thorough once-over. Trim unruly bushes, pull weeds, spread fresh mulch, and keep it mowed.

Your yard sets the expectations of the buyer before they’ve even stepped in your house. Consider installing attractive outdoor lighting. It goes a long way, for a little investment, toward creating a dramatic mood. And if you have a dog, go on a hunt for “land-mines” and clean them up.

10. Leave your dog in his crate while people look at your house. He’s well-behaved.

Or…he’s not so well-behaved when you’re not there and strangers are tromping through his house. Nothing is so distracting as a barking dog when prospects are trying to get a detailed look at your house. Even though he might be contained, his voice will carry. Take him with you if you can, or drop him at a pet-friendly neighbor’s house and repay them with house-sitting or a similar service.

I have been asked enough recently that I thought it worthy a post on the old blog, which, apologies for not devoting time to it in the past few months, ’tis the busy season and my schedule has been swamped.

Long story short, I was married, to a Marine, and, in another life I was a Marine’s daughter (apparently I was a sikorsky groupie in a former life). . .dear old dad is retired and, unfortuantely the marriage didn’t work out.

This summer, once I can catch my breath and find some spare daylight I will be working on the fun process so many ladies love. . .legally changing your name. I’ll be reverting to my maiden name, Johnson, from Laurence, this summer. . .so. . .thankfully the first name, McKenzie, is a snap to remember–there’s only one of me in the real estate market here in the area.

So, what does this mean to you? No much, other than I am about to have some snazzy new business cards to hand out soon. I should have done this a year or two ago, but, in the marketing world, you hate to make changes like this. . .but, it’s the nature of the beast I suppose. I don’t plan to do this again, the divorce thing, the marriage thing was pretty great for the most part. . .but divorce, I think I’d rather have my wisdom teeth pulled, and a root canal, and be covered with live angry bees first. . .

Long and short, soon I’ll be McKenzie Johnson (again) but it will still be good old hardworking me.

Visit www.910Homes.net and www.McKenzieSellsHomes.com to learn more about me, the Onslow County area and see lots of great homes. I have bunches of nifty links there as well for schools, bases, local areas of interest and more.